Cashel Blue wins big for Ireland at Great Taste’s Golden Forks
Cashel Blue wins big for Ireland at Great Taste’s Golden Forks 2024
Cashel Blue from Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers clinches the top trophy for taste
The winners of the Great Taste Golden Forks 2024 were announced at an awards ceremony in London’s Battersea Arts Centre on Tuesday 10th September 2024. The very best of the food and drink world celebrated at the grand finale of the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste awards scheme.
The Golden Fork from Ireland was hotly contested with Cashel Blue from Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Truly Dark from Bon Chocolatiers and Burren Smoked Eel from Burren Smokehouse all making it through to the final round, with the trophy awarded to Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers for their cow’s milk blue cheese.
The judges felt that this cheese was “Just gorgeous, with a wonderful buttercup yellow flavour. It was soft and creamy with just the right level of salt, it melted on the tongue and would be the highlight of any cheeseboard.”
Speaking on what a Golden Fork means to the family, Sarah Furno co-owner of Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers says: "It’s simply amazing to win a Golden Fork, it means our Cashel Blue has a very special seat in the contemporary world of taste. It is unbelievable to come out top for Ireland and in the top 10 overall of 13,672 entries. For our 12-year-old daughter Leila to receive the award together with Sergio and I was very, very special... Mum and Dad must be doing something right and yes, Blue cheese excites!"
John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food comments: “It is important to understand that Great Taste is merely the process that identifies 1-, 2- and 3-star winners and, in doing so, encourages makers to improve. Now at its climax, in announcing the Golden Forks we are celebrating the very best producers; those who take care to ensure their products hit the markers of trusted raw ingredients, simple production methods, and food & drink that has personality, but ultimately, that tastes great.
“We’re particularly chuffed to be doing our thing for international trade and relations by welcoming entries from 115 countries this year and, in addition, bestowing two new awards, one to a company that demonstrates inspiring business acumen, and the other to an organisation showing genuine commitment to sustainability. These winners must at the same time, be making outstanding food & drink.”
In addition to celebrating this award, Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers is proud to announce that they are one of the first businesses in Ireland to fully transition to using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for heating purposes. Louis Clifton Brown, Sustainability manager says, "HVO provides a 90% emissions-saving over fossil fuels and is a key step in our sustainability plans. This compliments last year’s PV solar installation that has provided 64% of our daytime electricity requirements this summer.’
"This transition to HVO and the increase in solar energy use represents our commitment to sustainability and reflects our values as a family business. We're not only proud of our cheese but also of the steps we're taking to protect our environment and ensure a sustainable future for the next generation," says Furno.
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers continues to innovate, not only in taste but in its dedication to sustainable practices, reinforcing its role as a leader in both the food industry and environmental stewardship.
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Notes to editors:
ABOUT Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers:
Founded by Louis and Jane Grubb in the early 1980s, Cashel Farmhouse Cheese is a testament to their vision of creating a farmhouse cheese that authentically captures the exceptional quality of Tipperary grass-fed milk. Now in its 40th year, Cashel Blue continues to be produced on the same hedge-lined 226-acre farm, Beechmount, in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Rooted in a legacy dating back to the 19th century, the Grubb family, renowned for their success as mill owners in Tipperary and Waterford, embarked on a new chapter in 1938 when Samuel Grubb acquired Beechmount Farm. Samuel’s son, Louis, and his wife, Jane, returned in 1979, transforming the farm introducing a dairy herd, and pioneering the Irish artisan blue cheesemaking industry.
Jane's experimentation with cheese varieties laid the foundation for Cashel Blue's debut in 1984, marking the birth of Ireland's first farmhouse blue cheese. Over the years, the dairy expanded to meet growing demand, introducing Crozier Blue in 1993, the country's sole sheep's milk blue cheese. In 2011, the construction of a purpose-built dairy designed by Louis Grubb's brother, Brian Grubb, symbolised a substantial investment in the future of Cashel Blue as an independent, family-owned specialty Irish Cheese that holds its place in the family of European Cheese.
In 2003, a new generation entered the scene as Sarah, Louis and Jane's daughter, and her husband Sergio Furno, with a background in the wine trade, brought their expertise to Beechmount Farm, overseeing the maturation of cheeses. Today, Cashel Farmhouse Cheese stands as a multi-award-winning producer, crafting exquisite Irish Farmhouse Cheeses with an unwavering dedication to quality, tradition, innovation, and sustainability. For more information, visit cashelblue.com.
About Great Taste
Great Taste is recognised across the globe as a stamp of excellence. Sought out by both food lovers and retailers, it is the world’s most trusted food & drink accreditation scheme and values taste above all else. Each year a panel of 500 industry experts meticulously judge a maximum of 14,000 products over 90 days to unveil the tastiest food from across the globe. All products are anonymised before entering a robust, layered blind-judging process. 2024 saw 13,672 products entered from 115 countries. A total of 3,938 (28.8%) of entrants won 1-star, 1,386 (10.1%) won 2-star and 266 (1.9%) won 3-star awards.
Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and, now in its 31st year, is the world’s largest, longest standing and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food and drink producers.
The Guild of Fine Food is a community of business owners with a passion for food & drink, created as a multi-level network to provide mutual support and protection for its members. The Guild maintains its industry-leading standards through training and raising awareness of good food and drink. It exists to represent all good independent food and drink businesses, at a local, national, international, and governmental level; building a diverse and inclusive collective of producers, retailers, and food lovers who champion well-made food & drink.
Every Great Taste award has a validity of three years, i.e. a Great Taste 2024 award will be valid, and may be displayed on a product, until the results are released for Great Taste 2027. All awards must always be displayed against the exact product for which they have been won.
The full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them can be found at www.gff.co.uk/directory and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops, and independent retail outlets across the world.
For a real insight into Great Taste 2024, including exclusive interviews, behind the scenes action and stories straight from the producers, download the Great Taste Podcast. Independent production company RATCHET has been given unfettered access to the Great Taste process from start to finish. You can listen wherever you download your podcasts from.
As well as Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food is known for publishing the industry-leading magazine, Fine Food Digest, and the global phenomenon, that is the World Cheese Awards. Plus, further events including award ceremonies and Great Taste markets, trade shows, training sessions and member initiatives throughout the year.
